Official: Press won't see anticipated Obama-Clinton hug

Despite the requests of a hug-hungry press corps, there will be no views of the much-anticipated embrace between President Barack Obama and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton at a party tonight for Ann Jordan, wife of Democratic adviser Vernon Jordan.

EDGARTOWN – Despite the requests of a hug-hungry press corps, there will be no views of the much-anticipated embrace between President Barack Obama and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton at a party tonight for Ann Jordan, wife of Democratic adviser Vernon Jordan.

Clinton, who joined the administration following a heated Democratic nomination fight with Obama, had harsh words for the president during a recent interview with The Atlantic, in which she credited a "cautious" foreign policy for fueling the rise of ISIS, a terrorist group that has spread from Syria to take over parts of Iraq.

On Tuesday, a day before her scheduled book signing at Bunch of Grapes bookstore in Vineyard Haven later this afternoon, Clinton called Obama to explain that the comments were not meant as an attack against him or his leadership.

"Like any two friends who have to deal with the public eye, she looks forward to hugging it out when they see each other (Wednesday) night," said Clinton spokesman Nick Merrill in a written statement.

When asked if the party would be open to the press, Schultz said he did not anticipate that would be possible for a "private social gathering for someone's birthday." A CNN reporter pressed him, saying in a tongue-in-cheek moment, "We all want to see that they do indeed hug here."

"I believe the president and Secretary Clinton have had many hugs over the past few years," Schultz said, drawing laughs from a cafeteria full of television equipment and reporters typing on laptops. "I suspect many of them have been caught on camera. Again, I appreciate the request, but I do think this is a private social gathering for someone's birthday so it's going to be hard to bring all of you lovely people in."